


bold of you to brave my storm

by legendarylezbian



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Holidays, Original Character(s), Post-Break Up, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:55:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21840052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/legendarylezbian/pseuds/legendarylezbian
Summary: After her break up with Julie, Dimity scrambles to find someone to bring home for Solstice.
Relationships: Drill/Julie Hubble, Imogen Drill | Dimity Drill/Hardbroom
Comments: 15
Kudos: 21





	1. prologue

Julie Hubble becoming the art teacher at Cackle’s was a turning point in Dimity’s life. She never thought that the woman she’d been infatuated with during parent’s evening almost two years before would be working alongside her, sitting next to her at the breakfast table, spending tranquil evenings with her talking about how this job was unlike any she’d ever had. Every morning, Hecate would give Julie her signature glare, eyes wide, nose upturned, and it managed to intimidate Julie into giving her a wide berth. Which meant that she always chose the seat next to Dimity. Honestly, Dimity didn’t usually have much patience for HB or her close-mindedness, but in those instances, she didn’t mind. 

Sneaking glances when Julie wasn’t looking and timing her breaks so that she would accidentally run into her in the teacher’s lounge soon progressed into her asking her out, which led to a sweet but awkward first kiss, which led to their first date. And then Mildred got the brilliant idea to upturn every rule of magic that the Witch’s Code was built on by giving her mother magic, in the hopes of ensuring she could stay at Cackle’s. While Dimity was hesitant to agree with HB, she was so tired of the students she was supposed to protect making that almost impossible by not thinking about consequences at all. 

Like this one.

“I can’t do this,” Julie tells her apologetically. Which doesn’t do anything to curb her shock, or quell the aching blow to her chest. The teacher’s lounge is empty, and Dimity had thought that Julie wanted to be alone with her for more pleasant reasons. Clearly, she’s been too optimistic. “I have too many responsibilities. And my magic--I just have too much to focus on right now.”

Dimity feels her shoulders slump, and all of her hopes of the past few months are crumbling inside her. In the span of only a few seconds, the pain becomes too much, so she just shuts down. She feels herself nodding jerkily because she can’t think of anything to say that is diplomatic enough for them to maintain a somewhat civil professional relationship. Her mind whirls, and then she’s out the door, away from Julie.

The former Star of the Sky breaks into a full-on sprint, in case Julie tries to follow her. She doesn’t realize that tears are blurring her vision until she plows into a dark figure that slinks out from the shadows. There’s a ‘humph’ sound as an exhalation of breath echoes down the hallway. Dimity manages to keep herself and the figure from falling by flinging her arm out to gain purchase on the nearest wall. 

“Miss Drill,” Miss Hardbroom scolds sharply, the words curt on her tongue. “You certainly have a penchant for tackling me.”

“I’m--sorry,” Dimity sniffs. “I needed to--escape.”

“You’re crying.”

“Well spotted,” Dimity snaps, because she doesn't know what to make of HB's tone. The other witch's emotions are hard to parse at the best of times. She sidesteps Hecate before she starts feeling guilty about the confused look on her face, and walks briskly to her quarters, wondering how in Merlin’s name she’s going to avoid Julie for the rest of the term.


	2. disaster

Dimity had agreed to take charge of the school prospectus before the nonstarter she’d had with Julie; she wasn’t sure she could call it a break up because they’d only been on one date, but that didn’t make it any less agonizing. It was hard enough that every day, she ran the risk of running into her, much less that she had to take her picture. She ended up not having too, however, thanks to HB, of all people. 

“Could you at least try to smile, Miss Hardbroom? It’s for the school prospectus. It’s supposed to look fun!”

“I could hold the jar of inside out eyeballs.”

“Just smile. It’s almost Thanksgiving!”

“One of the many calendar dates I do not acknowledge, Miss Drill. Along with Christmas, birthdays, and your pending holiday requests.”

Dimity sighs. “I knew this would happen. That’s why I called in help.” 

Less than five minutes later, after many fruitless attempts by strangers to bring even a ghost of a smile to Hecate’s face, Dimity is covered in green and pink goo, while HB snickers at her like a schoolgirl. At least someone can smile authentically. For the past week, Dimity has felt like she’s been wearing a mask so that no one finds out how dreadful she feels. 

“Could you at least try to smile, Miss Drill,” Hecate murmurs, barely containing her soft giggle. 

Dimity gives her an unimpressed look, and then snaps the photo, which features Hecate grinning widely. 

She sighs and wipes some goo off of her face. “Right, that’s that then. You can go. I have to take Julie’s picture next.”

“Oh. I see. I’ve noticed that you’ve been...absent at breakfast lately.”

Dimity raises her eyebrows. “You have?”

Hecate nods stiffly. “If you like, I can take her picture for you. You should go get cleaned up. Feel free to take your time.”

Dimity refrains from saying she could do a simple cleaning spell and be right as rain, because she notices how HB is being uncharacteristically thoughtful and is giving her an escape. They haven’t spoken about their late night meeting outside the teacher’s lounge, and Dimity is relieved to find that she doesn’t press, doesn’t push her into talking about what went wrong, while being intuitive enough to know that something did. 

She sighs, and gives HB a grateful look. “Thank you, Miss Hardbroom.”

After her shower, she feels a little more like herself, but can’t help but wonder why HB is suddenly being so nice to her. Aside from the goo. 

\----

Being called into Miss Cackle’s office is not usually a reason to be concerned, but Dimity doesn’t know how much word has gotten around the school about her and Julie, and as much as she wants to be calm and cool about everything, she can’t keep herself from fidgeting a bit as Miss Cackle adjusts her glasses and leans back in her chair. 

“Your work on the school prospectus was lovely, Miss Drill,” Ada begins, which definitely helps to put her at ease. 

“Thank you. HB helped.”

“Ah, yes, she told me about your attempts to get her to smile. Well done. Now, I called you here to discuss Julie Hubble.”

All of Dimity’s comfort evaporates at those two words. She straightens so that her back is rigidly aligned with the chair, and waits a few seconds for the panic to subside. It doesn’t. “Why?”

Ada goes on as if she hadn’t noticed Dimity’s reaction. “Well, as you know, Julie Hubble isn’t a natural born witch. She achieved her magic through--uncommon means. Once the prospectus is disseminated, people will have their opinions about her working at Cackle’s. Strong ones. I just want you to be ready, and for Julie to know that we support her.”

“Oh. I see.”

“I want to make sure no personal feelings will get in the way of the harmony between the staff, so we can weather any storms that may be brewing,” Ada continues, and gazes at Dimity for a beat, as if she can see into her most secret thoughts. 

Dimity swallows. “No. I mean, of course I can--be professional. I--I just--” Dimity sighs, then feels the concern spill out of her. She can’t hide anything from Miss Cackle. “I told my parents I was seeing someone, and they kept badgering me until I agreed that they could meet her over solstice. I don’t want to bear their disappointed faces when I come home alone.” 

Ada smiles warmly. “Anything could happen between now and then, Miss Drill. I’m sure you won’t be alone during solstice.”

A few minutes later, Dimity leaves the office, wondering, not for the first time, if Miss Cackle has the power of divination. It is pretty impressive that she just seems to trust everything will go right, even in the depths of chaos. Dimity has yet to achieve that level of unflappability. 

\----

The messenger bats come flying in the next week, but to the staff’s surprise, most of the messages are in support of Julie, and people welcoming a new age. Safe to say, the Great Wizard isn’t one of them, but Dimity is starting to suspect that no one really cares what he thinks, anyway. She certainly doesn’t.

Miss Pentangle visits, and offers to host a Solstice concert in solidarity with Cackle’s. Dimity volunteers to help Miss Bat with organizing it, without realizing that Miss Cackle also recruited HB to help. She’s not sure how the two of them are going to get along, since they are both strong personalities in a leadership role. The alternative, of course, is having free time to ruminate on how heartbroken she is still, and how she feels like she’s never going to meet another witch who will be willing to be with her, no matter how hectic things are. Because things at Cackle’s will always be; Dimity has worked there long enough to know that. 

Julie will learn that too, in time. It still burns in Dimity’s chest late at night when her thoughts have no outlet. She never should have told her parents anything; she’d been too hasty, even if she’d fancied Julie for almost two years. Clearly, Julie hadn’t even been aware of her existence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brought to you by insomnia and a need to make all the characters I love suffer.


	3. cyclone

It takes all of Dimity’s patience, energy and critical thinking skills to get all of the students in the choir on brooms by 1:30 so they can arrive at Pentangle’s at 2:15 for choir rehearsal. Doing this twice a week for the next five weeks before solstice is going to be a challenge, but she thinks that with HB’s help she could pull it off. What she doesn’t need, however, is for Miss Bat to fall sick the day of the first rehearsal. And who takes her spot?

Why, Julie Hubble, of course. And it’s so bloody awkward between them, that Dimity almost considers just flying her broom off course and going to Switzerland for a spontaneous holiday. She’s sure she deserves it, and that way she wouldn’t have to worry about going home alone for solstice. There isn’t enough witch’s brew in the world to withstand the disappointed look she’s sure she’ll see on both of her mums’ faces. She’s heard the story of how they met multiple times, and she’s not sure she’s sick of hearing it because she’s jealous or because it gives her unrealistic expectations.

They were teachers at rival witch schools--Corvallis and Wippet--and then her mother Lavinia transferred to Wippet when she broke off her engagement to a stuffy wizard. She met her mum Dorothea, and the way they tell it, it wasn’t love at first sight, or even the hundredth, but slowly, they realized how much they had in common and how their strengths complemented each other’s and then their love grew from there. Dimity’s sure she doesn’t have enough luck to have that kind of thing happen to her. Not in this lifetime.

When they finally manage to get off the ground, Dimity idly notices that Julie has taken to riding a broom quite well, and then situates herself to the back of the group to keep an eye on the students. Hecate is riding in front, her witch’s hat the pointiest of all. Dimity allows herself a moment of relief in knowing that she won’t be left alone with Julie Hubble.

\----

Being alone with Julie ends up not being a problem, because Miss Pentangle holds her attention for most of the rehearsal. They're getting along too well for Dimity's liking, and her suspicions are confirmed when HB comes over, flashing Julie and Pippa her patented glare. She isn't sure at first why Hecate is reacting that way and she is hesitant to guess. There have been many times when she was wrong about the other witch's expressions and what they mean.

"Miss Hubble and Miss Pentangle are getting along well," HB observes, her lips pursed.

Dimity nods, and then gives Hecate a sharp look as she notices how she's looking at Miss Pentangle in particular. Dimity's own heartbreak eases a bit as the pieces fall together in her mind. Perhaps she's not the only one at Cackle's going through romantic hardships.

"I didn't know you cared so much about who Miss Pentangle talked to." Dimity peels her eyes off of Julie to give HB a little smirk. "I'm sure there's a story there."

"One you'll never hear," HB assures her quickly. She keeps her eyes forward, studying Pippa, and Dimity's curiosity heightens. She knows that they went to school together, had a falling out, and recently were becoming friends again. But she can see the tension in HB's shoulders, in the way she's standing, like she's preparing for battle, and Dimity's own woes fall to the back of her mind as she steps a bit closer.

As a rule, she and HB don't get along. In crisis situations, though, they've always managed to help each other, and then promptly go back to just tolerating each other once things at Cackle's were functional again.

"I wasn't asking," Dimity sighs. "I just think that this will be more tolerable if we--"

"You're only standing here, deigning to talk to me, because Julie Hubble broke your heart," HB says, each word without a hint of inflection or emotion. It's not a question, but a hard statement of fact, and Dimity feels her blood chill at the solid truth of it. She feels indignant at HB's ability to see right through her, and folds her arms over her chest as she feels her jaw tighten. Unbidden, tears spring to her eyes, and she curses herself, yet again, for trying to be nice. Whatever possessed her to think that she would have a possible ally in HB, of all witches? 

She has invited her, time and again, to her birthday, but each year, HB is absent. Dimity wipes at her eyes and steps away, promising herself that she'll get through this practice and then ask Miss Cackle for another assignment for the term.

\----

"I'm terribly sorry to hear that you've been struggling, Miss Drill, but I'm not sure what can be done." Miss Cackle gives her a conciliatory look before gesturing to the tea on her desk. Ginger peach. Dimity’s favorite, and Miss Cackle knows that. It takes a few sips before Dimity starts to feel better. "Perhaps if you told me more about what's bothering you?" 

"I just don't know how to get along with HB," Dimity sighs. "She's even more insufferable than usual, probably because of Miss Pentangle. I'm normally not one for gossip, but I can't help but feel like something is going on between them." 

Miss Cackle keeps her expression neutral, and pours her more tea. "Yes. Miss Hardbroom won't talk about it, but I am sure you're right. Where did this newfound curiosity about her come from, I wonder?" 

Dimity shrugs. "I don't know. I'm just bored, I suppose." 

The twinkle in Miss Cackle's eyes makes Dimity more than a little uncomfortable. Again, she feels transparent in front of her, and it's unsettling, because she's not even sure what Miss Cackle is seeing. If she must survive the next few weeks coaching a bunch of little witches and trying to shape them into a choral unit, while watching her crush and HB's old flame flirting, she'd like to have someone to share her misery with. She doesn't know how to explain this to Miss Cackle, however. She doesn't want to seem like she hates her job, because that would be something HB would do. And she is not like HB. She prides herself on being cheerful, helpful and adaptable to whatever Cackles Academy can throw at her. 


End file.
